Sunday August 21 2011
Sail training after my various trips?! Well I figured that if I wanted to continue with sailing I’d have to get some proper qualifications and best to start with the basics, hence my choice of a competent crew qualification endorsed by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA).
I went to an RYA registered school in Gibraltar, Hercules Sailing for my week’s sailing course. The competent crew course is designed for complete novices, for those stepping onto a yacht for the first time and is generally geared to ensure that an interest for sailing is further developed! Given how I felt at times on my most recent sailing trip – the ARC Transatlantic Rally and notably the four days of sea-sickness – it’s perhaps amazing that I ever got on a yacht again, but the positive sides far outweigh the pain of these inconveniencies!
Anyway, having made the rather long trip down from Brussels, flying into Malaga and taking the bus down to Gibraltar, I crossed the border and began my sail training in another little piece of Britain abroad. I must say the town and marina is not much to write home about in my view, but the Rock itself was pretty impressive, apes et al as I will describe below.
Arriving late on Sunday afternoon I got on board and met the week’s sailing instructor Graham and my two sailing classmates, Sharron and Ali. Sharron was already on her day skipper coastal practical course, having done her theory over the winter while Ali was a competent crew candidate like myself. We enjoyed an introductory meal and got used to the fact that the marina is right next to the runway, in fact you have to walk over the runway to get into Gibraltar!
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